'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Friendly Rivalry, starring Lee Hye-ri and Chung Su-bin, premiered on February 10. Based on a webtoon, this mystery thriller takes place at Chaehwa Girls’ High School, an elite institution for South Korea’s top 1 percent, where intense academic pressure pushes students to their limits.
Chung Su-bin plays Woo Seul-ki, an orphan from the provinces who transfers to Chaehwa High but struggles to fit in. Lee Hye-ri portrays Yoo Je-yi, the school’s most influential student—wealthy, intelligent, and cunning. Je-yi becomes particularly interested in Seul-ki, leading to a complex relationship marked by both friendship and obsession.
In episodes 3 and 4 of Friendly Rivalry, Seul-ki and Je-yi get closer. It is also revealed that medical negligence on the part of J Medical Center, run by Je-yi's father, resulted in Seul-ki's father's death.
Trending
Friendly Rivalry episode 3-4 recap: Je-yi and Seul-ki get closer
Episode 3 of Friendly Rivalry starts with Je-yi's backstory. After having arranged the perfect birth chart for her, Je-yi's father planted doubt and suspicion against her elder sister in her mind to make her more competitive.
As the perfect child, she would get bored at church service since she had nothing to confess. To tackle this, she decided to do something wrong before church service. She started to go clubbing and drinking. As a metaphor for the distance she maintained from people, she wore armor as a top in the clubs and used a wig to be unrecognizable.
However, one day, she had a revelation where she drowned in the Han River wearing the armor and felt enormous peace.
Back in the present, Je-yi brings Seul-ki to her father's medical center where she and her friends usually study. She gets her a new set of uniforms and, upon Seul-ki's asking, tells her that the reason she is being kind to her is because she respects her and wants to know how she studies. In return, she shall provide her with the coaching material.
As they are speaking, they hear Choi-kyung and Ji-ri. They hide in the closet and eavesdrop as they talk about Je-yi trying to make Seul-ki into a loyal dog and about Seul-ki being an illegitimate child. Je-yi covers Seul-ki's ears to prevent her from hearing it in this episode of Friendly Rivalry.
Suddenly, Seul-ki's phone makes a notification sound. Hearing this, Choi-kyung and Ji-ri go towards the closet, but Je-yi messages them to come to the cafe and they leave.
During their guidance class, Choi-kyung decides to change her major and become a patent attorney. After class, Je-yi's dad drives them home, but Choi-kyung insists on getting dropped off at a convenience store along with Ji-ri. She finds Je-yi's father to be somewhat weird but Ji-ri ignores her ideas.
After reaching home, Ji-ri is shown checking her weight and puking as unpaid bills lie on her kitchen table. At home, Seul-ki recalls Je-yi's father coming to them with the news of her father's death.
She had seen Je-yi later speak to him and wondered why she could not have parents like the other kids do. The next day at school, since Na-ri is absent, Seul-ki picks up her things and asks Je-yi if she can sit with her.
In episode 4 of Friendly Rivalry, Je-yi welcomes Seul-ki to sit beside her. While Seul-ki goes to the medical club, Ji-ri shows up and tells her that it is weird that Na-ri, who also wanted to join the medical club, suddenly disappeared, making it easier for Seul-ki to join.
Later, the teacher asks the class to choose a class president. Since Choi-kyung is the only one who wants to be the president, she asks them to just vote quickly. However, Je-yi interrupts and pushes Seul-ki forward for the position of class president. As the votes are counted, Seul-ki gets the higher number of votes and becomes class president.
This angers Choi-kyung, who goes around checking students' notebooks. Seeing this, Seul-ki intervenes. Je-yi, adding on to it, suggests Choi-kyung apologize for the commotion. She does so and leaves.
In Friendly Rivalry, when Seul-ki reaches home, she finds that someone's shoes are outside. Unwilling to interrupt, she sits in the park for a while. The same person who had the shoes is shown speaking to Je-yi's father about a lawsuit. Je-yi's father asks him to pay some compensation and get a settlement agreement.
The person, who is the administrative director of J Medical Centre says that medical negligence is easy to cover up and is shut down by Je-yi's father, in this episode of Friendly Rivalry.
While meeting another student, Je-yi sees Seul-ki waiting for her. It starts raining and Seul-ki enters a karaoke. As Seul-ki is singing songs, she is joined by Je-yi, who also compliments her voice.
Je-yi suggests they go back to her place and spend the night there. They can leave for school from there. Seul-ki follows. At her place, Je-yi shares how she felt tranquil when she went deep sea diving. Seul-ki, who also finds the ocean comforting, tells her she can understand. Seul-ki also opens up to her about having been left behind on a school trip as a child and having ended up in an orphanage.
Je-yi comforts her, and they get ready to sleep. While Seul-ki is in the bathtub, Je-yi joins her and slowly kisses her. Suddenly, Seul-ki wakes up from the dream. After using the washroom, she finds Na-ri's texts on Je-yi's phone.
As she reads the texts, she finds that Je-yi has been blackmailing Na-ri with a video. She wants Na-ri to apologize to Seul-ki and leave the school. Episode 4 of Friendly Rivalry ends here.
The next episode of Friendly Rivalry is scheduled to be released on February 17.
